Cincinnati streetcar bolstered by extra funds

The Cincinnati City Council Budget and Finance Committee, including all nine members of the full council, voted Monday, June 24, to approve a funding plan offered by City Manager Milton Dohoney to close a $17.4 million revenue gap for modern streetcar construction.

The vote was 5-4. The vote keeps the streetcar project alive, despite continued opposition from numerous sources, including sources outside the city limits. It also means City Manager Mahoney can negotiate a construction contract for the project, a source closely monitoring the situation told Railway Age.

Late last week the federal government committed an additional $5 million in funding toward the project, with some conditions.

Work to relocate utilities beneath streets along the streetcar route, a contentious issue for several months, began earlier this month.